While many seasoned Disney travelers are aware of this, there are lots of folks who visit the parks and are stunned to find no tables available at their top restaurant choices. Don’t worry, it happens to all of us at one time or another…and we’ve got solutions for you!

Today, we’ve updated our list of the most popular Disney restaurants and terrific alternatives if you can’t score a table at your coveted spot!

Let’s take a look at the most elusive restaurants to book these days…

Dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant

From the time that they first announced the restaurant’s soft opening until now, we have heard from many readers who haven’t been able to secure a spot at Magic Kingdom’s other castle restaurant (the first being Cinderella’s Royal Table, of course!). Here are a couple of reasons why:

Newness: The biggest reason for this remains the relative novelty of the place. Be Our Guest and all of New Fantasyland are still a hot ticket in Walt Disney World since the expanded land’s grand opening in December 2012.

Incredible, Immersive Themeing: The impeccable themeing means that stepping into Beast’s Castle is truly like climbing through a portal into Beauty and the Beast (the original or the live-action version!). You almost expect to look down and find your plate come to life!

The Grey Stuff — It’s Delicious!

Novelty: The French-inspired cuisine that’s served at Be Our Guest is unlike anything else available in all of Magic Kingdom. In addition, Be Our Guest was the first place in formerly-dry Magic Kingdom to order beer and wine, and that added to the location’s novelty.

So, what to do if you can’t get a reservation at Be Our Guest?

Alternatives:
How about these options instead…

Breakfast or Lunch at Be Our Guest: This one’s easy! Go to the restaurant for a breakfast or lunch experience. These meals are counter-service and are much easier to get reservations for. Plus, I actually like the food better at lunch than at dinner…and it’s significantly less expensive. The best part: ordering your lunch here secures you a spot to roam and explore the Beast’s Castle to your heart’s content, which means you can check out all three dining rooms (you’re seated at dinner, so less incentive to roam). At the moment, the Rose Gallery Dining room is often closed during dinner, so lunch is the best time to see the whole castle.

Be Our Guest Restaurant’s Rose Gallery is often only open for Lunch

Cinderella’s Royal Table: Another option (although it’s very popular as well) is Cinderella’s Royal Table. This restaurant also gives guests that feeling of dining in a castle among royalty (princesses move from table to table throughout the meal). And we’re thinking that with the added capacity that Be Our Guest provides, securing other sought-after reservations just might be a little easier.

Chef Mickey’s and Other Popular Character Meals

Another hot ticket in Disney World are character dining experiences. While there are many to choose from, a few in particular are extremely popular — and therefore much harder to book.

While getting this reservation can be difficult, there are several reasons that we think you should persevere and book a character dining experience:

No Waiting in Character Autograph Lines: Rather than wait in line after line in the parks (and hope your wait doesn’t include a break time for the character), the characters come to you! And often, they’ll make the dining room rounds more than once, which provides plenty of time to capture that cute photo op.

Tigger Lounges and Signs an Autograph Book

Get Lots of Character Autographs at Once: And it’s not just one character. All of the character dining options feature lots of characters at the same time, so you’re sure to mark many of your must-have encounters off your list all at once.

Climate Control: One of the biggest draws to character dining is the comfy atmosphere. Usually, character autographs come only after a long wait in the hot Florida sun. But a character dining experience takes away that discomfort. That’s right — we’re talking air conditioning! Meeting Mickey where it’s nice and cool, versus sweltering and sunny, can make for a more relaxed experience.

Mickey Waffles at Cape May Cafe Breakfast

Special Access to Parks: When you make your reservation before the theme park where the restaurant is located opens, you have the added bonus of entering the park ahead of the crowds. This makes for some really special photo ops, too, and will put you ahead of the game in terms of ride waits and Fast Passes! Although moving the Magic Kingdom Welcome Show to the Cinderella Castle stage has complicated this a bit, wonderful photos can still be had!

Disney Multitasking: Eating + seeing characters = accomplishing two important Disney to-dos at the same time! This is a great way to maximize your time while still enjoying your vacation!

Alternatives:
But what if your favorites are booked? Fortunately, there are lots more character dining experiences to choose from. If the above restaurants are already full, you still have options.

Tusker House: Check out Tusker House in Disney’s Animal Kingdom for breakfast or lunch, where Mickey and friends are dressed in cute safari gear! (Don’t forget to look into Rivers of Light dining packages as well!)

Goofy strikes at pose at Tusker House in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

‘Ohana: This relaxed restaurant at the Polynesian Resort has one of the best views in Disney World, and it also happens to offer an awesome character breakfast meal. Meet Mickey, Pluto, Lilo, and Stitch at ‘Ohana, and enjoy a platter full of goodies (including Mickey Waffles) with your family while you gaze out at Seven Seas Lagoon and Cinderella Castle!

Garden Grill: This rotating restaurant is located within the Land Pavilion at Epcot, and it serves up tasty food like roasted turkey and seasonal berry skillets that are All-You-Care-to-Enjoy! Plus, at Garden Grill, some of the goodies on your table might have grown right there in the Land! You’ll meet Mickey, Chip, and Dale, as well as some other friends in their best farm looks!

Trattoria al Forno: This newest character meal is served up at Trattoria al Forno at the BoardWalk Inn and features Rapunzel and Ariel along with their princes Flynn Ryder and Eric! Themed pastries and entrees are a fun addition to this character meal.

Le Cellier Steakhouse

For years now, Le Cellier Steakhouse in Epcot’s Canada Pavilion has been one of the hottest reservations for lunch as well as dinner.

Le Cellier Steakhouse

But try to score a table by walking up to the podium, and you will normally be turned away. There are a few reasons for this, we believe:

Reputation: Word-of-mouth has made Le Cellier a legend in Disney fan circles. It rarely gets a bad review, and many book a table just to find out the reason behind all the raves.

Size: This is an astonishingly tiny restaurant, which means there are few reservations to go around.

Le Cellier Steakhouse Dining Room

Quality: Both food and service are excellent here, with many menu items taking on “cult favorite” status.

In recent years, however, a few things have changed. Dinner became a signature meal in 2011, and in 2012, lunch followed suit. (Read our review of the signature lunch experience here.) That means that eating here will set you back quite a bit (including two table service Disney Dining credits at both lunch and dinner!), even in the middle of the day.

Le Cellier Filet and Unibroue Beer Flight

We’ve been wondering if upping Le Cellier’s posh and price factor might mean that more tables become available. And with newer restaurants and dining experiences throughout World Showcase, snagging a table here may prove to be easier than it has been in the recent past.

Alternatives:
But what happens if you can’t score that elusive Le Cellier table? While I certainly love Le Cellier, I have to be honest here and say that there are as good — or better — steaks to be had at Disney. If it’s beef that you’re craving, consider one of the following:

Shula’s Steakhouse: Head to Shula’s at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort when you are looking for the quintessential steakhouse experience, complete with classic dishes and masculine ambiance.

Yachtsman Steakhouse:Yachtsman Steahouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort offers steaks in a breezy, nautical setting that are served alongside seasonally-inspired sides.

Ribeye with Herb Fries at Yachtsman Steakhouse

Victoria and Albert’s and California Grill

Many guests who visit Disney World enjoy taking in some of the premium dining options around the resort, like signature restaurants and dinner shows. But the popularity of the two can mean frustration when it comes time for booking reservations.

If you aren’t up early 180 days before your trip, you’ll have slim chances of securing a table at hotspots like California Grill and Victoria and Albert’s. Why is it so hard to get into these coveted restaurants?

Victoria and Albert’s Main Dining Room

Small Number of Tables: Victoria and Albert’s boasts the most exclusive dining experience on Disney property — and the one place where children under 10 are not permitted to dine. The intimate setting has a very limited number of tables and two seatings per night (only one seating each evening is available at the chef’s table). This means there are fewer tables to go around for guests who would like to experience V&A opulence.

At California Grill, the popularity of watching the Happily Ever After Fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom from one of the coveted window tables means booking in advance is required.

View of Fireworks from California Grill

A Long (and Well-Deserved) Reputation for Quality: Both Victoria and Albert’s and California Grill have been at the top of the Disney Dining heap for a very long time — and they have the awards to prove it. Both restaurants are recognized by both guests and critics as fantastic.

Victoria and Albert’s Chef’s Table Only Has One Seating Per Night

Offering some of the most wonderful food that can be found at Disney, California Grill and Victoria and Albert’s both focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients and an ever-evolving menu. But if you can’t secure reservations for them, there are still some spectacular meals at other signature restaurants that I have found to be as good as these two.

Alternatives:
Securing advance dining reservations can be easier at some of my other favorite signature dining spots around the resort:

Jiko: Located off the beaten path at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jiko offers authentic flavors of the diverse cuisine of African countries, as well as the most extensive collection of African wines outside of the continent. Sanaa, also located at Animal Kingdom Lodge, is another stellar dining experience.

Head to Jiko for an easier reservation and an incredible meal

Citricos: If you’re looking for something a little closer to the monorail line, check out the fresh cuisine of Citricos. Located at the Grand Floridian, the emphasis here is on the fresh food of Florida with a Mediterranean influence. (If you’re very lucky, you might score a meal Dining with a Disney Imagineer here!

Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue

Are you after dinner and a show? Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort will fit the bill nicely. Be ready to exercise flexibility for this one too, however.

Napkin Twirling at Hoop Dee Doo

The performances are just as sought after as they have always been for a few reasons, we think:

History: Hoop Dee Doo has been delighting crowds with its fun “hootenanny” since the very earliest days of Walt Disney World’s history.

Fun for All Ages: A show here is truly a family affair. Kids of all ages will enjoy the music, dancing, and interaction.

Great Food: Unlimited supplies of picnic favorites like barbecue ribs and fried chicken are crowd pleasers, and grown ups can have their fill of beer, sangria, and wine as well. And don’t forget the strawberry shortcake — delish!

Hoop Dee Doo Revue Bucket of Fried Chicken

Alternatives:
Wondering what to do if you aren’t successful in attempts to book the show? Well, truthfully, there’s really nothing that can exactly substitute for the fun that is Hoop Dee Doo. But depending on whether you’re after the down-home food they serve, or the raucous good time, you might be able to come close.

Trail’s End: For food, head to Ft. Wilderness Campground’s table service restaurant, Trail’s End. Their buffet dinner offers many of the same items that you’d be feasting on at Hoop Dee Doo, and the rustic surroundings convince you that you really have stumbled in from the range. (You can also sit for a buffet breakfast and brunch here!) And of course, be sure to mosey over to Chip n Dale’s Campfire, also at the Fort, for some s’mores, a free movie, and a sing along!

Whispering Canyon Cafe: If it’s crazy good times you’re after, check out Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. The food is hearty, and the antics of the staff — especially during the dinner hour — will keep you in stitches.

Hobby Horse Race at Whispering Canyon Cafe

Rose and Crown Restaurant and Other Fireworks Viewing Hotspots

Looking to enrich your fireworks experience by adding dinner to the ticket? Then you’ll probably want to try for a table at California Grill in the Contemporary Resort or ‘Ohana at the Polynesian to watch Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After or maybe to Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room in Epcot for a premium view of Illuminations at Epcot.

Rose and Crown Pub

But these aren’t surefire bets, either, for a few reasons:

Be Prepared to Wait and Wait: Scoring the right table at a fireworks hotspot can mean waiting an hour or more for a table to open up… even if you have a reservation (nope, Disney cast members aren’t able to reserve a particular table for you when you make your ADR). Is your party up for that?

No Guarantee Even With a Reservation: Not only are these difficult reservations to obtain, but once you’re in the door on your chosen night, there’s no assurance that you’ll have a window view at ‘Ohana or a coveted “just right” patio spot at Rose and Crown. It pays to have an alternative in your back pocket if this is a memory you’re looking to make.

Front Covered Patio at Rose and Crown — this is where you want to be for the fireworks!

What’s a good plan B?

Alternatives:
For other fireworks viewing and dining combos, we have a few favorites other favorites when our first choice isn’t available.

Narcoossee’s: One of our very favorite spots is Narcoossee’s. The charming restaurant at the Grand Floridian offers incredible views from its dock location, and the wraparound windows give everyone in the restaurant a good Happily Ever After viewing spot.

The Polynesian Resort’s Beach: For a less expensive option, grab a picnic from Captain Cook’s — or a Lapu Lapu from Tambu Lounge! — and head down to the Polynesian’s beach to take in the magical display out in the open air.

Spice Road Table: This waterside spot also provides an incredible view of Illuminations, plus the added bonus of serving up tasty Moroccan small plates! And since there’s covered seating and lots of big windows at Spice Road Table, you’ll be able to watch comfortably without fighting the crowds!

Magic Kingdom and Epcot Dessert Parties: If you like your fireworks viewing with a private party and plenty of desserts, make a reservation to attend a dessert party at either Magic Kingdom or Epcot! These parties offer a private viewing area, a limited number of guests, lots of sweet treats and beverages, and terrific views. Call 407-WDW-DINE to inquire about upcoming events!

Our Tips for Snagging Your Coveted Disney Dining Reservation

We’ve got a few tried and true tips for scoring those hard-to-get reservations, though, so that you hopefully will be able to enjoy the vacation of your dreams.

Book Reservations As Soon As Possible: Either call 407-WDW-Dine, log into your My Disney Experience app, or book reservations online at DisneyWorld.com exactly 180 days before you wish to dine at a particular restaurant. If you’re staying at a Disney on-site resort, you can book 180 + 10 days out as long as you provide your valid resort confirmation number. That means you can call 180 days before you arrive and book dining for the first 10 days of your trip. Get online or on the phone as early as possible in the morning (phone lines open at 7AM ET — sharp).

If You’ve Missed the 180 Day Mark: Continue to check online (via the website or My Disney Experience) or call daily to request your elusive reservation. Folks cancel trip and dining arrangements often, so you never know what you’re going to get. Guests have even been known to score day-of ADRs for highly elusive restaurants!

Be Flexible with Times: Consider changing your time and opting for a later or earlier dining time to snag a table. Recently I ended up with a very early dinner reservation — and it turned out to be fabulous! I had my whole evening free, and crowds in the restaurant were very light.

Another suggestion: Split the party up. Rather than seating for a party of six, consider splitting into groups of three or even four and two. You might be seated more easily that way.

Don’t Give Up!: Even when you’re in the Disney parks and resorts you could still score a “walk-up” reservation! Any restaurant or concierge/guest services desk should be able to let you know if a particular restaurant has any openings that day, or you can simply head to the restaurant you’re hoping for and ask at the podium if there are walk-up tables available. Alternatively, you can double- and triple-check the My Disney Experience app throughout the day. You might have to wait a while, but it’s worth a try — especially during slower seasons!

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Comments

For our second wedding anniversary, my wife booked the Chef’s Table at Victoria & Albert’s. Since we had booked a room at the Grand Floridian, Disney decided to move our reservation from the requested night to New Year’s Eve, the night before our anniversary. They figured, without telling us, that we were there and New Year’s was a better alternative — and they had Disney executives that wanted our night. My wife fought for months to get the original reservation reinstated. She finally got the date she wanted and the second party for the table that night never showed — so we had the chefs and the kitchen to ourselves. It is worth the money to dine there and we took full advantage of being able to go anywhere in the kitchen. If people would view the dining cost as an “education” expense (and that it is), maybe more people would consider this really rare seating option.

The alternatives for Victoria & Albert’s should have included Shula’s and the Bull & Bear. These are great restaurants. Artist’s Point, a place I love, would not come to mind on a night I was looking for exceptionally fine dining. Narcoossee’s, since it is close to the Grand Floridian, would have also made my list — although it would have been a distant third to the other two alternatives.

AJ: Loved this look at the restaurants. Since I live close to WDW, I periodically get asked restaurant questions like you covered. I’ll be sending this story out to answer those questions in the future. You did a great job covering a difficult subject.

I have a booking at Chefs table for my 50 birthday this year and I literally rang the minute I knew they would be open on the 180 day mark. My DH and I talked it over a lot before I booked it because it is expensive BUT if you equate the cost to the experience, the course numbers and expertise it is reasonable. We will remember and talk about the experience for years so we figured it was worth every penny we are going to spend.

If you’re really dying to eat dinner at Be Our Guest, but couldn’t get an ADR, try walking up and asking if they have any cancellations. We couldn’t get an ADR because this was a relatively last-minute trip, so we were planning to go for lunch instead- but the line was *insane* and we didn’t want to wait an hour for lunch. We tried for dinner last night and we got right in! Only waited 10 minutes. The couples in front of us and behind us also got in. It was awesome. And the service there was fabulous. We got the Grey Stuff, and a card signed by Belle and the Beast (although it’s our honeymoon and it was a birthday card haha).

Having just made plans for a Fall trip, I have had the opportunity to talk to various cast members at Disney Dining Reservations. While they all agree that Be Our Guest Restaurant is far and away the hardest ADR, one of them shared a tip to beat the crowd. Call Disney Dining Reservations 190 days before your first night’s stay at a Disney-owned hotel! (You read that right, 190 days NOT 180 days! That is just another good reason to stay on property at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel… and I was able to get reservations for a party of 6!)

Disney Dining Reservations cast members also told me that reservations for Cinderella’s Royal Table and for Le Cellier Steakhouse have gotten a little easier. However, reservations for O’hana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort Hotel have become one of the hardest to get (particularly around the time of any fireworks show at Magic Kingdom.)

We did the wait for a Rose & Crown fireworks view once only, several years ago. It was memorable, but I wouldn’t do it again. It’s too unpredictable and the wait, as AJ says, can be extremely long. People seem to hang onto those tables for hours!

For Epcot fireworks, we now usually go to Tokyo Dining. The view isn’t quite as good, but it’s a relatively easy ressie to get, and if you don’t have a window seat, you can go out on the wrap-around deck. It also offers a relatively quick walk out of the park via the International Gateway to Boardwalk, where we often stay.

We’ve never had a problem waiting for a fireworks table at the Rose and Crown until last year, and my parents were with us, which seemed to make it worse. This year, we’ve made a reservation at La Hacienda de San Angel instead, and we’re hoping that we’ll have a nice view from our table there.

For BOG and Le Cellier, I’ve never had a problem making a reservation, but I also will get up extra early in the morning 180 days out so I can make a reservation the second I’m allowed to.

Definitely difficult to get ADR for BOG. I wasn’t able to attain one for my October trip. However, the menu doesn’t really excite me; I was mostly excited for the *new* factor so I’m not upset about not getting a reservation.

I still booked Le Cellier as a tentative option. Not happy about prices and missing hamburger. I absolutely love mushroom risotto, so if anyone knows where I can get some yummy mushroom risotto please let me know!

I would love to do Rose & Crown for Illuminations, but I am impatient! Anyways, the menu doesn’t look too England inspired. I mainly want a scotch egg so I’m good hanging out at the bar 🙂

Consider us as some of the few that do not care for Le Cellier. The worst service we’ve ever had on property was in The Cellar.. it seems that their only priority (none too subtle) was to push people through as quickly as possible. The food is great, but not outstanding enough to make up for the service. We would much rather spend our time/money at La Hacienda, Tuto Gusto, Brown Derby, Jiko, Bull & Bear, Blue Zoo, etc.

Nicole – your comment has really made me feel so less stressed out about my situation forr BoG! When planning our graduation trip, my sister and I thought it would be just the two of us so I made our ADRs for BoG for only 2. At the last minute, before we booked our hotel and flights, a third friend came through and said she had the money and would like to go with us for graduation. By this point, it was too late to simply change the reservation from 2 people to 3 people since all the ADRs were taken up! So I’ve had a 2-person ressie for three people for months! ^_^;;

When I talked to one of the cast members on the phone, she said to have the concierge of our hotel call the day of and see what they can do, or to go up to the podium and see what they could do. Hearing that you were able to walk up and only wait ten minutes makes me feel so much more confident we’ll be able to squeeze the one extra friend of ours in!

Just returned from WDW and for the 6 days there, was only able to get one reservation for BOG. As we were checking in, people were getting in (small parties) on cancellations. Tried lunch one day and it was only a 30 min. wait at 1:00. I agree the food for lunch is almost better than what is offered on the evening menu and waaayyyyyyyyyyy less expensive.

Tusker House is a very good character buffet. Get lots of face time with the gang.

Be Our Guest Restaurant has got to be the most overrated restaurant in the history of overrated restaurants! The restaurant IS beautiful– go in, have a look around and take some pictures, and then do yourself a favor and go to Pecos Bill’s for better food at a fraction of the cost and no wait. 🙂

A post like this is maybe the best reason for reading the DFB. (Along with the a absence of bickering.) These “second” options are all great in their own right, and can easily become your go-to favorites. Well done, AJ.

The profile pages for each restaurant on the DFB site also list alternatives. (this post may be more up-to-date)

I don’t quite agree with grouping CA Grill and V&A together since they aren’t really similar experiences. V&A is not part of the normal dining plans and none of the other WDW restaurants offer the same level of food and ambience, so I’d rather go somewhere offsite, like Bull & Bear or Norman’s.

Also at the Fort, as an alternative to the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, is Mickey’s Backyard BBQ. It is a covered open-air pavilion with much of the same food as the Hoop Dee Doo, but it’s served buffet style. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip n’ Dale join in on the “hootin’ tootin'” hoedown with music provided by a country-western band. Characters are available for photos and autographs. You might even score a photo of one of them on the dance floor boot scootin’ with your child.

LeCellier rarely gets a bad review? Really? I see lots of people who were disappointed with this place. It takes more then raising prices to make a “signature” restaurant. Save your money. This ranks as one of the biggest ripoffs I have had

Has anyone ever tried the restaurant, Capa, at the Four Seasons? If so, wondering how the food and view for the fireworks is (from the balcony)? We have dinner reservations here for Valentine’s Day (different menu this night too, I believe). Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!